Air filter frame



April 1954 D. J. GONZALEZ AIR FILTER FRAME Filed Sept. 8, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

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m B D N m LiiL H TTa PNEY amid Apr. 20,1954

',':UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2 Claims. I l

The present invention relates to a frame of novel construction for holding a filter element.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a metal frame which is so constructed that it may be painted or otherwise finished before final assembly.

' Another object is to provide a filter frame which may be inexpensively and quickly made and which may be formed by bending and stamping operations.

A further object is the provision of a filter frame made up of portions rigidly fastened together by a simple, inexpensive structure.

These and other objects will be apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention by way of example, and wherein:

Figure 1 shows a blank of one part of the frame ready to be bent;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary edge view of Figure 1 as indicated by arrow II;

Figure 3 is a section along line 33 of Figure l Figure 4 is a face view of the U-shaped frame structure made by bending the blank of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an end view of Figure 4 as indicated by arrow V;

Figure 6 shows a blank for closing the end of U-shaped frame of Figures 1-5;

Figure '7 is a top plan view of the frame structure made by bending the blank of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a section taken on line VIIIe-VIII of Figure '7;

Figures 9 and 10 are fragmentary outer and inner face Views showing the manner of assembling and securing the two frame parts; and

Figure 11 is a section taken along line XI-XI of Figure 10.

Referring to Figures 1 and 6 of the drawing, the filter frame is made of two separate sheet metal blanks or parts designated as A and B. Part A, shown in Figure 1, comprises a strip of dimensions suitable to make three walls of a filter frame such as the bottom wall I and the vertical side walls 2 and 3. On Figure 1, the transverse dot dash lines C between I and 2 and D between I and 3 indicate the places where the strip is to be bent to form the bottom corners while the longitudinal dot dash lines E on one side of I, 2 and 3 and F on the other side thereof indicate where the strip is to be bent to form the front and rear face flanges 4-, 4', 5, 5, 6 and 6'. When the strip is bent, it will form a G-shaped frame, as seen-in Figure 4.

Centered on the corner bending lines 0, D are 10 of the sheet metal.

AIR FILTER FRAME Don J. Gonzalez, Louisville, Ky., asslgnor to American Air Filter Company, Inc.,' Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Application September 8, 1952, Serial No. 308,453

r 3. The flange 5 has, adjacent slot 8 and along edge I I, a rectangular offset or embomed portion I2, having a length about equal to the width of flange 5 on wall 2. The depth to which I2 is offset or embossed is about equal to the thickness The flange 5' of wall 2 and flanges 6, 6 of wall 3 are similarly embossed at I2.

When the strip is bent to form the flanged C-shaped frame shown in Figure 4, each embossed portion I2 will underlie the corresponding 15 portions of wall I while edges 9, 9' will b in abutting relation. The frame is now spot welded at each embossed part I2.

The ends of side walls 2 and 3 have similar embossed pads I5, I5 on flanges =5 and 5 and I6, I6

on flanges 6 and 6'.

Each of the side walls 2 and 3 is provided with a. pair of parallel slits I'I near its outer or upper end. The metal between slits I1 is offset inwardly sufficiently to form an inner bridge band I8,

which cooperates with the adjacent wall to form slot I9 as shown in Figure 3. Each bridge band I8 is formed with a hole 20. The bridge bands cooperate in securing the C-shaped frame and the top frame member as will be later described.

Part B, shown in Figure 6, comprises a strip dimensioned to provide the fourth or top wall H of the frame and to underlap the upper ends of the side walls thereof. On Figure 6, the transverse dot dash lines G and H indicate the places where this strip is to be bent to form the top corners while the longitudinal dot dash lines J and K indicate the bending lines for the front and rear face flange 22, 22. When the bending operations are completed, the ends of the strip will be downwardly turned to form flaps 25 having tongues 26. Tongue 26 has an H-shaped portion punched out to provide tabs 21 having cam edges 28. The H-shaped opening is slightly wider than opening 20.

In assembling the end wall 2I, each tongue 26 is inserted in the adjacent bridge band slot I9 and its tabs 21 are bent or struck inwardly so that the cam edges 28 engage the upper edge of bridge band opening 20 with a camming action which pulls these frame parts toward each other and In assembling the filter frame, the blank A is bent on the dot and dash lines C, D, E and F, into the form of a C-shaped channel member. Where the embossed portions I2 of walls 2 and 3 underlie the corresponding corner portions of flanges 4 and 4', the flanges are spot welded. This por tion of the frame now can be painted or otherwise finished as required, and the filter element (not shown) then is inserted in the frame.

The part B is bent along the dot and dash lines G, H, J, and K, and then it is assembled onto part A by inserting tongues 26, into slots l9 with the corners of flanges 22, 22' overlying the embossed pads l5, l5 and I6 and It. By the use of a. punch and hammer, the tabs 27 are peened or struck inward. In doing this, the cam edges 28 engaging the upper edges of holes 20 to cam the parts together and hold the part B in locked relationship on the rest of the frame. It will be understood that the overlapping corners of flanges 22, 22' and pads l5, l5 and '16, I6 may be spot welded together, if desired, and that the finishing operation on the frame may be carried out after the filter element is inserted. This structure provides an inexpensive frame which may be assembled quickly, with the parts fastened rigidly together.

I claim as my invention:

1. A filter frame comprising: a frame member extending circumferentially along a G-shaped path to form two sides and one end of a rectangular filter frame, the opposite end being open; an end member extending across and closing the open end of the filter frame, one end portion of the end member being inturned toextend alone the adjacent end portion of the adjacent side member; and means connecting the inturned end portion of the end member to the adjacent end portion of the adjacent side member, said means comprising a band struck out from one of said end portions to form a. transverse bridge thereon and a slot between that bridge and that end portion, said bridge having an opening and a transverse edge along one side of that opening,

the other adjacent end portion terminating in a References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 548,483 Vogel Oct. 22, 1895 1,687,854 Anderson Oct. 16, 1928 1,746,429 Kelleweay Feb. 11, 1930 1,751,926 Kielberg Mar. 25, 1930 2,393,419 Schaaf' Jan. 22, 1946 2,421,743 Cartter et a1 June 10, 1947 

